Grand Jirga sought to tackle militancy in NWFP

Awami National Party's MNA Pervez Khan Advocate on Friday called for constituting Grand Jirga with members from Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and other areas as well as from Afghanistan, to tackle militancy in NWFP. Taking part in debate on prevailing law and order situation, Pervez Khan stressed the need for reviving traditional jirga system for settling disputes.
He urged the political leadership to steer the nation of the crisis. "Today nation needs those who could lead it in the right direction." Pervez Khan said it was high time that the Centre should extend full support to NWFP and Balochistan and give them the royalty which they deserved.
He said the 'U-turn' the country took after 9/11 needs to be abandoned immediately. "Let's go back and make decision on our own." The ANP MNA underscored the need that Parliament must be taken into confidence on Government's moves in Fata.
PML-N MNA Muhammad Hanif Abbasi joining the debate said it was a well established fact that India was involved in terrorist activities in both Fata and Balochistan. "India has established 11 consulates in Afghanistan alongside the borders with Pakistan. India is also providing the militants with arms and dollars," he said.
He said such elements, which were targeting Masajid, Imambargahs and hospitals should be dealt with iron hand with no impunity at all. MNA Engr Amir Muqam said though it was their desire that militants be crushed in Fata, however, he argued the government must avoid collateral damage done in the wake of air strikes.
He said hundreds of thousands of people had migrated to safer places where their living condition was miserable. NWFP Provincial Government has passed a resolution that spoke volumes of the worse situation of the refugees. NWFP has also sought help from the Centre to effectively cope with this grave situation. Amir Muqam, who hails from Shangla district in Swat Valley, suggested that at a time when Government was busy in fighting militancy in Fata and Balochistan it should separately handle Swat, which doesn't share borders with Afghanistan or even with any tribal agency. "Swat is surrounded by settled districts from all sides."
MNA Fakhar-un-Nisa speaking on the occasion said she had asked the US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Richard Boucher that Taliban were their production. "You (US) trained them (Taliban) and gave them sophisticated weapons for use against USSR." MNA Khurram Dastagir said Taliban constituted a very 'dangerous mixture' of persons including absconders and religious fanatics.
He said tribals were subjected to both deprivation and injustice. All seven tribal agencies need to be handled individually as taking them as a whole would lead to further devastation. Khurram Dastagir argued that instead of bombardment, there should be covert and targeted actions supported by intelligence against militants. "Bombardment causes collateral damage."
He said USA and Nato wanted to externalise their failures in Afghanistan. "Is it just our responsibility to safeguard the frontiers. What are they (USA, Nato) doing in spite of being well-equipped and fully trained?" He said the soil of Pakistan must not be allowed to be used as battlefield for proxy war of other countries. Dastagir said strong clues had been found that indicated foreign involvement in Pakistan's internal affairs may it be Shia-Sunni, tribal feuds or militancy in Fata or Balochistan.